Carton closing machine and method



July 25, 1967 EDWARD L. WONG 3,332,199

CARTON CLOSING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed vJune 12. 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. EDWARD L. WONG MAJ A T TO/PNEVS July 25, 1967 EDWARD L. WONG 3,332,199

CARTON CLOSING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed June l2. 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EDWARD L. WONG July 25, 1967 EDWARD L. WONG CARTON CLOSING MACHINE AND METHOD 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 12, 1963 IOZd INVENTOR. EDWARD 'L. W 0N6 A rroaw ys H y 1967 EDWARD L. wows 3,332,199

CARTON CLOSING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed June 12. 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IOZc oa Ad. 02b og INVENTOR- EDWARD L. WONG BY Madam A 7' TO/PNEVS United States Patent CARTON CLOSING MACHINE AND METHOD Edward L. Wong, San Francisco, Calif., assignor, by

mesne assignment, to King-O-Matic Equipment Corporation, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Filed June 12, 1963, Ser. No. 287,407 Claims. (Cl. 53-35) The present invention relates to packing containers such as glass bottles in a carton, and relates more particularly to the placing of the bottles in a carton in a gentle fashion so as to avoid breakage during this operation.

In the productions of packages of bottles such as cartons of beer bottles, a common practice is to provide a carton for containing a plurality of parallel files of bottles to automatically open the carton to an erect position, to maintain the side flaps of the carton open, to introduce the two files of bottles automatically, and then to close the carton. The automatic packing of the caron with the bottles at relatively high speed involves problems in the production of an efiicient machine and method to provide a desirable high capacity and at the same time to avoid breaking of the bottles because of undue impact.

It is the general object of the invention to provide an improved machine and method of packaging a plurality of bottles in a carton without breakage.

Another general object of the invention is to provide a machine and method of the above character in which the bottle separating tabs are handled in an advantageous manner in being erected to active position during the bottle entering operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism and method of feeding the bottles in parallel groups into the container automatically as the two move along together in a continuous fashion wherein stationary cam means completes the entry of the bottles into the carton.

The above and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a bottle casing machine, and particularly the portion thereof relating to entry of the bottles into the carton;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional elevation of the portion of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken in a plane indicated by the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view taken generally as indicated by the line 44 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing a timing of the bottles and the carton to the control means for entering the bottles in the carton;

FIG. 6 is another view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrating a further condition of the bottles where a portion of the bottles have been fully entered into the carton;

FIG. 7 is a detail view illustrating the mounting of one form of tab erecting finger;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of a carton adapted to be filled by the method and apparatus of this present invention.

In general, the present invention is based on a carton closing machine, as illustrated in the application of Wolfgang B. Fahrenbach, Ser. No. 106,753, filed May 1, 1961, now Patent No. 3,300,947, to which reference is made for parts not fully disclosed herein.

In general, the carton 10 (FIG. 8) which is symmetrical from side to side includes a narrow top panel portion 11, a full width bottom panel 12, and respective end panels 13 which are similar. One end of the bottom panel 12 is attached by a glued flap to the adjacent end panel in a conventional manner. These four panels are connected by respective bend lines so that they form a continuous series. Top panel 11 has side flaps or panel portions 16 at either side attached thereto by bend lines 1611 so that they can be bent downwardly in an inclined position to complete the top with the narrow top panel 11. Connected to these panel portions 16 are fiat side portions 15 connected thereto by bend lines 15a for a purpose later described. The end panels 13 have respective side flaps 17 which are connected to the end panel 13 by bend lines 17a and have attaching slot means 18 for connection to the side flaps 19 at either side of the bottom panel which are connected thereto by suitable bend lines 19a. A locking tab 19b is provided for each slot means 18. Also, each end wall 13 of the carton has its respective triangular tabs 14a and 14b suitably connected to each other, to the end panel 13 and to the panel 16 by suitable bend lines so that a gusset connection is formed which will fold and in the collapsed condition of the carton connects and controls the top panel and the end panels during the opening operation.

For the purposes of the present invention, it is suflicient to understand that fully erected cartons are carried one after the other in spaced carton conveying stations 21 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which are carried along by a pair of chains 22, all as disclosed in said Fahrenbach application. The erected cartons are carried past the bottle grouping and feeding station 23 (FIGS. 1 and 2) by means of which a group of four bottles are grouped for introduction into each side of the carton. At the same time, the bottles are being introduced into the carton, a bottle separator tab erector mechanism comes into play to place the separator tabs in active position. Then as disclosed in the Fahrenbach application, the carton with the bottles in it is carried past a carton flap closing station which performs a closing operation.

For the purpose of understanding the present invention, it is sutficient to say that the frame comprises respective similar opposed channel sheet metal frame portions or side members 31 (FIG. 3) and 32 which are suitably connected in a rigid fashion by suitable crosspieces or members at various points along their length. The various crosspieces also provide a support for a central raised pad portion 33 on which respective tracks or plates 34 and 35 may be mounted for purposes later described. The drive mechanism includes the two main conveyor chains 22 which are trained about suitable sprockets (not shown), these sprockets being similar in construction as those shown in the Fahrenbach application, and also in the McGihon application, Ser. No. 485,943, filed Feb. 3, 1955. Each carton conveying station 21 comprises a pair of upright members 36 carried by blocks 37 secured to the chain 22 and having grooved sides engaging guide plates 35 carried by the side rails 31 and 32 and by the center pad portion 33. Each of the upright portions 36 has laterally extending fingers 38 for engaging and propelling bottles at they are moved into the carton.

The bottle feed mechanism comprised generally of a pair of opposite single single file conveyors 81 (FIG. 1),

only one of which is shown, which may be of any suitable conventional type, and each having respective side rails associated therewith. These conveyors 81 are suitably mounted on the machine and driven to provide a speed at least 10% higher than the equivalent speed of the chains 22 which convey the cartons.

The discharge end of each conveyor 81 (FIGS. 1 and 2) terminates at and discharges onto a singling conveyor 86 comprising upper and lower parallel chains which have a series of nylon projections 87 with tapered ends 87a and spaced slightly apart a distance greater than the diameter of the bottle. The chains 86 are trained about suitable upper and lower idler and driving sprockets 88 and 88a carried by suitable shafts on a platform 89 attached to an adjacent frame. This singling conveyor 86 is driven at sufficiently higher speed than the conveyor 81 so that the bottles arrive synchronously at the various pockets of the singling chain to be driven thereby, and to be simultaneously controlled by a gathering mechanism or conveyor 91 having one projection or propelling lug 92 of suitable soft material such as nylon corresponding to each four of the lugs or projections 87. The conveyor 91 is trained about a sprocket 93 (FIGS. 1 and 2) coaxial with and driven by the sprockets 88, a larger sprocket 94 adjacent the discharge end of the gathering conveyor and an intermediate idler sprocket 95. The gathering chain has one lug for each four bottles and is timed with the singling conveyor 87 to gather the bottles four by four, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and they are conveyed along a path at an angle to the path of the cartons 10, the inclined path being defined by an inner guard rail 97 and by one stretch of the chain 91. The stretch of the conveyor chain 91 in controlling relation to the bottles gradually diverges from the adjacent stretch of the chain 86 so as to strip the bottles free of the propelling lugs 87. This prevents any undue acceleration of the bottles by the lugs 87. This path is convergent with the path of the cartons at an angle approximately 30 degrees and serves to deliver the bottles onto a plate 98 and onto the extended side flaps 19 attached to the lower walls of the carton as illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 4, for example. Thereafter, each group or file of four bottles are propelled by the end extensions 38 of the carton station 21.

Bottle entry into carton It will be understood that to enable entry of the bottles into the carton, the carton is maintained opened and the respective top side flaps and bottom side flaps are maintained in extended positons so as not to interfere with the entry of the bottles, all this operation being as formed, as explained in the application of Fahrenbach identified above.

Referring to FIG. 4, it will 'be noted that the containers of bottles are introduced from the rail 97 and the conveyor 91 onto the platform 98 in front of a pair of side extensions 38 and are carried past a rail 99 which continues the control of the conveyor 91 to be placed into engagement with one of two opposite cam plates 101 and 102 (FIG. 4). The cam plates are spaced vertically to be free of any portion of the carton, i.e., to engage a portion of the bottles intermediate their height, and have cam surfaces thereon to control entry of the bottles into the carton 10. As seen in FIG. 4, two groups of four bottles 100 are engaged with a preliminary cam surface 101a of the cam 101 and 102a of the cam memher 102, respectively, and which have an inclination relative to the longitudinal path of travel of the cartons of approximately 30 degrees. At about the time the bottles are entering into the carton, these cam surfaces 101a and 102a merge respectively with cam surfaces 10112 and 102k which are at an angle of about 10 to degrees with respect to the longitudinal center line so as to cause the bottles to enter the cartons in a slow and gentle fashion as they are jostling along on the conveyor. The section 101b continues to a straight section 1010 of the cam member 101 when the bottles are fully entered into the carton on that side, and the cam section 10251 merges with a cam section 1020 which is followed by a straight portion 102d parallel to the portion 1010 and corresponding to the final entry of the bottles.

It will be seen that the above arrangement of the cam surfaces serves to gradually reduce the rate of acceleration or inward closing movement of the two files of bottles relative to each other and brings them gently and slowly to parallel position as illustrated by; the position of the bottles as found in FIGS. 5 and 6. In this way, breakage of the bottles is prevented.

If desired, the cam section 102 can be provided with the same contour as the cam member 101.

Separator flap control As previously described, the bottom panel 12 of the carton 10 has respective sets of separator flaps designated 12a and 12b, respectively, the flaps 12a being in sets of three as seen in FIG. 8, and extending transversely of the carton, and the flaps 12a being arranged in a row of four and extending longitudinally of the carton.

The flap erecting mechanism for the flaps 12a which are erected first, comprise a pair, three yieldable mounted fingers 131 (FIGS. 2 and 7) which are carried by brackets 132 on an upstanding arm 133 journaled by pin 134 on a disc 136 carried by a shaft 137 which is driven in synchronized fashion with the carton conveyor. The three fingers 131 are spaced and timed in operation so that the erection of the flaps 12a is occurring as the bottles are entering into the carton 10. Thus as a flap 12a (FIGS. 4 and 5) is erected, it is immediately embraced by a pair of adjacent containers 100 so as to be maintained in erected position.

At a subsequent portion along the travel of the carton with the bottles partially therein, and during operation of the cam members 101 and 102, the second series of four separator flaps 12b are erected by a series of fingers 131a carried by a chain 136, the chain 136 being trained about a pair of sprockets 137 suitably driven in time with the conveyor chains 22. Theupper stretch of this chain extends throughout the travel of the carton while the bottles being entered therein until the bottles are sufficiently close together to prevent lowering of the flaps 1211 so that the bottles maintain the separator fiaps in erected position.

The bottles therefore have been placed into the carton with the separator tabs in erected position and are ready for the subsequent carton closing operation in a conventional manner.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is apparent that the invention is capable of variation and modification from the form shown, so that the scope thereof should be limited only by the proper scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. The method of entering bottles into an erect open sided carton which comprises moving the carton along a path at a given speed, feeding respective groups of bottles into aligned relation with the sides of an open carton with a group of bottles at either side of the carton, effecting inward movement of the groups of bottles toward each other and toward the carton at a given rate during the preliminary engagement of the bottles with the carton, and thereafter effecting closing movement of the bottles toward each other at a slower rate so as to effect final entry into the carton in a gentle fashion without damaging contact.

2. The method of entering bottles into an erect open sided carton which comprises moving the carton along a path at a given speed, feeding respective groups of bottles into aligned relation with the sides of an open carton with a group of bottles at either end of the carton, effecting inward movement of the groups of bottles toward each other and toward the carton at a given rate during the preliminary engagement of the bottles with the carton, and thereafter effecting closing movement of the bottles toward each other at a slower rate so as to enter into the carton in a gentle fashion without damaging contact, erecting the separating tabs during said inward movement of the bottles, and maintaining them in erected position during said closing movement.

3. In a carton filling machine for a pair of adjacent parallel groups of bottles, a frame, a carton conveyor mounted for movement on said frame to carry an open carton along a path, means for feeding respective groups of bottles in parallel relation with each other to either side of said carton and in alignment therewith, means for eifecting a preliminary fast closing movement of said bottles with respect to each other and the carton, and means thereafter effective to continue the closing movement of said bottles at a slower rate.

4. In a carton filling machine for a pair of adjacent parallel groups of bottles, a frame, a carton conveyor mounted for movement on said frame to carry a carton along a path, means for feeding said respective groups of bottles in parallel relation with each other to either side of said carton and in alignment therewith, means for effecting a preliminary fast closing movement of said bottles with respect to each other and the car-ton, means thereafter effective to continue the closing movement of said bottles at a slower rate, and separating tab erector means for interposing said tabs between adjacent bottles of the groups during said closing movement.

5. In a carton filling machine for a pair of adjacent parallel groups of bottles, a frame, a carton conveyor mounted for movement on said frame to carry a carton along a path, means for feeding said respective groups of bottles in parallel relation with each other to either side of said carton and in alignment therewith, means for effecting a preliminary fast closing movement of said bottles with respect to each other and the carton, means thereafter effective to continue the closing movement of said bottles at a slower rate, separating tab erector means for interposing said tabs between adjacent bottles of the groups during said closing movement, said tab erector means including a chain having one stretch thereof disposed parallel to the path of movement of the carton.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,662,356 12/1965 Swafford 53-48 X 3,034,270 5/1962 Nigrelli et al. 53-48 3,064,404 11/1962 Chidsey et a1. 53-48 3,129,542 4/1962 Fahrenbach 53-48 3,194,381 7/1965 Sherman 198-34 3,194,382 7/1965 Nigrelli et a1. 198-34 3,225,510 12/1965 Jones et a1. 53-48 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner. FRANK E. BAILEY, Examiner. R. L. FARRIS, Assistant Examiner. 

2. THE METHOD OF ENTERING BOTTLES INTO AN ERECT OPEN SIDED CARTON WHICH COMPRISES MOVING THE CARTON ALONG A PATH AT A GIVEN SPEED, FEEDING RESPECTIVE GROUPS OF BOTTLES INTO ALIGNED RELATION WITH THE SIDES OF AN OPEN CARTON WITH A GROUP OF BOTTLES AT EITHER END OF THE CARTON, EFFECTING INWARD MOVEMENT OF THE GROUPS OF BOTTLES TOWARD EACH OTHER AND TOWARD THE CARTON AT A GIVEN RATE DURING THE PRELIMINARY ENGAGEMENT OF THE BOTTLES WITH THE CARTON, AND THEREAFTER EFFECTING CLOSING MOVEMENT OF THE BOTTLES 